Levitate Student: EU students -

EU students - changes to residency rules

On March 1st 2016 Joe Johnson MP (Minister of State for Universities and Science) announced a significant planned change to the Education (Student Support) Regulations 2011 which will change the residency requirements for EU national students.

Currently an EU national is entitled to apply for

• Tuition Fee Loan only if they come to UK to study in Higher Education
• Tuition Fee Loan and Living Cost Support (currently loans and grants) if they have lived in UK for 3 years prior to the start of their course.
• Tuition Fee and Living Cost Support if they are a EEA Migrant Worker or Family Member of a Migrant Worker

The proposal is to increase the residency requirement from 3 years to 5 years before an EU national can be eligible for the living cost support in their student finance package.

The government cite the increasing pressure on the student finance budget due to the level of EU applicants and their desire to manage the burden on the tax payer as their reason for the change. The changes will impact students starting a new course in academic year 2016/17.

Many EU nationals of course fall into the category of an EEA Migrant Worker and pay taxes themselves to the UK. These changes will not affect the entitlement of Migrant Workers and their families according to the statement. Neither will it affect "those who are already studying". 

If you are an EU national living in England and thinking of starting a Higher Education course please seek advice on this change before starting the course.

It will be interesting to see how the devolved government and assemblies of Northern Ireland, Scotland an Wales respond to this change and whether they follow suit. 

Useful information and guidance is available through UKCISA